Optimism was the primary takeaway of spring practice at USC, but not every position could be so fortunate.
Injuries put a significant damper on the workouts for a couple of units, most notably the defensive line—where new coordinator Clancy Pendergast wants an aggressive five-man front—and the secondary.
Still, no storyline matched the attention that the quarterback battle received. Max Browne and Sam Darnold headlined the competition under center, though neither player separated himself enough for head coach Clay Helton to name a starter.
And the spring game provided few clues either way. Whether that's a good thing, well, that's up for interpretation.